Pregnant coach from Baltimore among those killed in lacrosse team bus crash

The Baltimore Sun

A college lacrosse coach from Baltimore County died after the team's bus crashed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, also killing the driver and injuring 20 others Saturday morning, authorities said.

Kristina Quigley, 30, the head coach for the Seton Hill University women's lacrosse team, died in the crash near Carlisle, Pa. Quigley, now of Greensburg, Pa., was six months pregnant. She died after being flown by helicopter to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, said turnpike spokesman Bill Capone.

The unborn boy also died.

Quigley, whose maiden name was Trionfo, graduated from Dundalk High School in 2001 before attending Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. In her senior year at Dundalk, she had amassed 216 goals and 98 assists as the Owls' 10-6 season came to an end in the Class 3A-2A South Regional semifinal.

Her coach at the time, Danielle Grzebien, said, "She could have easily scored 300 goals but she wanted to pass the ball. That's a true testament to what kind of player she really is."

After earning a degree in secondary education and coaching at her alma mater and at Erskine College in South Carolina before getting the job at Seton Hill, according to the website. The college said she is survived by her husband, Glenn, and young son, Gavin.

Quigley had just begun her second season with the Seton Hill women's lacrosse program, after having led the team to 11 victories in her first season, the school said.

The team has four players from Maryland: Sierra Kelley-Chung of Columbia, Ciara Guihen of Silver Spring, Abby Shaughness of New Windsor and Kaitlyn Flaskerud of Severna Park, according to the team's website.

The team's assistant coach, Cristen Sanfilippoi, is also from Baltimore.

The bus, which was carrying 23 students and three coaches, was eastbound when it crashed at 8:55 a.m. at mile marker 227 in Cumberland County, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. The cause of the crash, which involved no other vehicles, remains under investigation.

The bus jumped a guide rail and struck a tree head-on, a turnpike spokesman said. The bus driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and 20 passengers were taken to local hospitals.

The Seton Hill website says the team was scheduled to play at Millersville University near Lancaster at 1 p.m.

Seton Hill will celebrate a memorial Mass for Quigley and the driver on Sunday, school spokeswoman Kary Coleman said in a statement.